We have all seen satellite images of the Earth before, but Canadian scientist Felix Pharand Deschenes has gone one step further – using data collected through assorted government agencies, he has created a series of stunning scientific illustrations showing the far reach of the planet’s modern technology. In his words: “We see everything from paved and unpaved roads, light pollution, railways, electricity transmission lines, all the way to submarine cables, pipelines, shipping lanes and air traffic.”

Created using his home computer, Deschenes’ images show “several sides of global human activities.” Of course, not all representations are to scale as you can’t see electrical wires from space. Considering the fact that the planet’s population is set to hit 7 billion within the next week, it is astounding to see the far reach of mankind’s influence across the planet.